Tuesday, April 22, 2014

One probably wouldn't expect to pair a tropical print varsity jacket with garments as preppy as these knit shorts and minimalist blouse. The jacket looks distinctly sporty, which is probably why I chose to pair it with anything but a pair of sweats and sneaker wedges. I love the juxtaposition of vibrant vacation prints with subtle staples that afford it sophistication and glamour -- makes me feel like I'm fun and serious AKA taking fun seriously.

These Pink & Pepper peeptoe heels with a cut-outs and laces are NO JOKE. They're that one coworker who makes everyone else look lazy and unmotivated in comparison... in other words, all business. But unlike your brown nosing office mate, these heels actually know how to play. They might even order a margarita at Chipotle on lunch break... but would NEVER tell a soul. Pink & Pepper gets it right per usual.

If you're more in the mood for leggings... Romwe is offering a promotion on their striped zebra leggings through the 24th of April! They're offering 10% off with the code 10%offleggings and if it helps, I even have pair myself. Will debut them this week! ^_^

Monday, April 21, 2014

I'm getting SO BORED of being sad so I'm trying to channel some of my more adventurous (formerly known as 'free-spirited') energies that usually manifest in the form of a 1970s inspired get-up. Optimism, even when forced, is a good start to the week. I'm trying to will myself into believing that willing myself into believing things will actually make them happen. *hits cymbals*This striped faux fur coat is c/o my longtime friends at Swaychic! They've been growing like CRAZY over the past couple years and their inventory has never been better -- I got so overwhelmed looking through their most recent art-school-grunge and seaside vacation inspired lookbooks that I HAD TO MAKE A COLLAGE showcasing my latest favorites. Those lascivious material possessions get me every time... them and their stupid perfect shiny perfectness.

Friday, April 11, 2014

Polka dots seem pretty old fashioned. Pixel print seems pretty futuristic. Layered on top of one another they make... a contemporary juxtaposition? An ironic pairing? Does it matter? Since this NY Mag article debuted yesterday about 'the etymology of the basic bitch,' I've been worrying about whether my trend biting helps or hurts my brand as "an individual." A part of me unapologetically hates "boring mainstreamers." Another part of me hates that hating mainstreamers isn't unique anymore. Could it be that both critics of the basic bitch and recipients of the dreaded title are equally conformist? I vote yes. There is ultimately no difference between the person who consumes to diverge from the masses and the person who consumes with the masses. Both are consumers, both are believers in materialism.

To be basic is to genuinely believe that what you consume actually represents your personhood. That doesn't mean consumers are uniformly basic in that they all appear 'normal.' Many consumers publicly look rebellious but privately obey social order nonetheless. To be not basic is to publicly obey and privately rebel. To obey is to look like you're rebelling publicly to give illusion that you are obeying privately. But muahaha. It's all part of the scheme. Consume... but don't justify.

Please take a minute to check out Grayson Shop -- one of my latest LA collaborators! I'm devoted to making quality apparel more available to my readers at a realistic price point and Grayson perfectly fits the bill. Can't wait to show you the other two pieces I styled from their collection! ^_^

Based in the heart of Los Angeles, our efforts at Grayson is to provide quality young women fashion at affordable prices. You’ll find many new arrivals at $10 or less. As an added incentive, we currently are offering $5 off first orders when new subscribers join our email – no minimum purchase required.

Thursday, April 10, 2014

Andy Warhol really sucks. He equipped the corporate world with a cultural middle ground that ought to remain neither practical nor rhetorical -- art. His departure from the conservative standards that ensure difference between advertisement and poetry unleashed a noisy, maximum opacity fog that occluded any cultural expectation of distinction. Just like people demand a separation between church and state because they do not want biased ideologies imposed on them, people ought to demand a separation between art and advertisement. The spiritual rites that religions represent do not deserve to be used for political gain. It is abusive and unsacred. Warhol nonetheless felt entitled to live without rules -- he was clever but immoral. And he knew this.I'm wearing a pop art inspired top from Oasap because pop art is already a commodity.I'm wearing denim because I'm on your side.I'm wearing "boyfriend jeans" and a "masculine blazer" with heels and lipstick because I'm "not afraid to expand what it means to be a female."I'm just like you -- different.

Tuesday, April 8, 2014

You know what I realize? I talk A LOT. I know so many bloggers who post photos of their outfits with a simple sentence acknowledging their readers, then call it a day. I envy that kind of casual lack of pressure to impress. But I don't relate to it at all. I feel like my voice, my idiosyncratic self-deprecation and anxiety about what my outfit means, personifies and redeems this blog. Redemption is a huge part of my life. I know it's not healthy to feel like you constantly have to prove that you're worth paying attention to... but that's part of my whole persona. I'm neurotic, I'm concerned you won't like me, I'm nervous that my outfit isn't good enough to blog about unaccompanied by frivolous text. And if you dislike those things or find my unnecessary commentary annoying... well. Can't say I didn't expect that reaction. I'm used to people thinking I'm 'too much' and named my blog accordingly. But I really really really hope that most people who visit my blog appreciate the effort I put into winning over their interest. Blogging is not about accruing fans, it's about earning friends. And I don't actually revel in being the subject of hatred.

Or maybe you hate me for other reasons... like the fact that I'm wearing a Raiders jersey (waddup Oakland). Can't apologize for that either. West Coast solidarity y'all.

Monday, April 7, 2014

Another day, another delicious tropical gradient color combo. I remember when I found this Hibiscus print blazer at a Goodwill in North Hollywood. I was at the peak of my "polynesian fetishism" phase and could imagine a hundred million ways to wear this jacket, which I was especially committed to debuting at a club. Since "shaka" (recontextualized and whitewashed to suit my 2012 Hawaiian tourist fancy) is no longer a word in my vocabulary, the jacket is likewise no longer a symbol of my trendiness (or entitlement). In my mind it's returned to its culturally-neutral state of impartial structure... but surely ten seasons from now it will represent something totally different. For now, let's just innocently enjoy the aesthetic pleasure of turquoise, orange, and yellow.

Sunday, April 6, 2014

Soooooo who else is watching Cosmos with NDGT on the science channel this season? My natural elitist inclination is to inform you that I've been a fan of both Neil and the 1970s original series since before the internet made it "a thing." I remember wearing my favorite Carl Sagan t-shirt on the first day of 10th grade -- under one of his most famous portraits (crossing his arms in a maroon turtleneck and standing in front of a turquoise galaxy) were the words "LEGENDS NEVER DIE" in big block letters. I wonder if Carl would have been disappointed in me for accessorizing his face to make friends. Anyway, my only criticism of the new series is that its presentation of what should be challenging material seems pretty "lowest common denominator." What can't be fairly described to a scientifically illiterate audience shouldn't really be 'described' at all... it should instead be presented as poetry since an aesthetic understanding is all the audience will ultimately derive. I think Carl was great at this, allowing the phenomena of science to be humbly aesthetic when purveyed by a "civilian". The new series seems a little more pretentious, but I think that has more to do with the special effects than with Neil. I used to watch his astronomy lectures on DVD as a teen and am obsessed with his sense of humor... I wish more of his unrehearsed personality showed through. Hopefully as the season progresses, the presentation of heady concepts will become more humorous and lighthearted.Oh yeah, I SOBBED at the end of the debut episode when NDGT recounted meeting Carl for the first time as a seventeen year old. Stories about passing the torch down always get me.

Saturday, April 5, 2014

I'm gonna be real with you. I hate raves so much that I almost can't even talk about them. My palms start sweating, my heart starts racing, I feel like I have to take a phantom shit and suddenly where the fuck is my valium. It's not that I "still haven't had the right experience" because trust me - I've done plenty of raving in my recent youth. It's that I associate raves (or musical festivals, parties that last until well after 2 AM, and DJ sets) with MDMA comedowns. Recommendation to anyone reading this who hasn't ever tried molly/ecstasy/press pills: CONTINUE TO AVOID THESE DRUGS AT ALL COSTS. One exposure can sabotage your regulation of serotonin forever and you'll have to take an SSRI/SNRI (anti-depressant pill) to return to a stable mood. :(

Nonetheless I've put together many a technicolor outfit for the more casual raver: shorts instead of a tutu, sports bra instead of a lingerie top, backwards cap instead of a flower crown. Which isn't to discredit the greatness of tutus, lingerie, and flowers... I've just never been one to 'get down' in tulle and lace. This is totally not me trying to shit all over things girls do in an internalized-misogyny kinda way. Anyway, back to me lecturing you about the dangers of hedonism. Rainbow brights will definitely put you in the party mood but (in the interest of preserving your own sanity) complement that pleasure-seeking with deference to the fact that post-traumatic disorders are possible and after repeated drug indulgences you seriously might not ever be the same again. No pressure.